Crickets and mealworms

[F50myster]

Quote:
I watched the YouTube video on that thread and I've decided to raise meal worms for my girls.
The YouTube author only uses oatmeal as bedding and some baby carrots for moisture...
can anyone give me some input about adding different kinds of grains (like cornmeal and cream of wheat that Jason mentioned above)? such as do different grains make for a "better" or bigger or more tasty meal worm? and I also noticed that some people put those water crystal thingies in with the bedding...can't think of the name at the moment...is that a better way of adding moisture than using veggies?
and what makes a "Super" mealie a Super mealie? are they fed a special diet?
Thanks for any input.

*the YouTube author made a "part 2" a year later that follows up on the meal worm bin he sets up in the first video and he answers some questions that viewers have about it. I found it to be worth the watch since I've never done this before*

yeah isnt that video just so amazing and easy!!! and to get super worms you have to breed super meal worms

 

[Nebe]

Quote:
it really is! I think I'm going to watch it again today....I just ordered some mealworms off of eBay. Twenty four bucks for 2200 of 'em (medium to large size) and that includes one day shipping. They should be here Feb. 1.
Is anyone else gonna start doing it? Wanna be "bin buddies?"

And after a little digging around I found out that those super worms are a different genus and they're not "community breeders"...they each have to have their own space. They won't reproduce all together in one bin like regular mealworms. Stopped reading after I saw that. lol

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
it really is! I think I'm going to watch it again today....I just ordered some mealworms off of eBay. Twenty four bucks for 2200 of 'em (medium to large size) and that includes one day shipping. They should be here Feb. 1.
Is anyone else gonna start doing it? Wanna be "bin buddies?"

And after a little digging around I found out that those super worms are a different genus and they're not "community breeders"...they each have to have their own space. They won't reproduce all together in one bin like regular mealworms. Stopped reading after I saw that. lol

Superworms will reproduce just fine together. The only difference is their longer life cylce, and the fact that they need to be put under stress and seperated in a dark area to pupate. (Such as film canisters) After the pupae enclose into beetles, you can put them all in another bin.

 

[threeboysmom]

Wow! I didn't realize how easy it was to raise mealworms! I only have two chickens a black bantam cochin and a blue rock but they LOVE mealworms! How many is a good snack for each chicken? I don't want to give them too much of a good thing, but they love them! I try to stick with giving them three or four a day. They free range the backyard during the day and since I've started giving them meal worms they are cackling up a storm to be let out every morning to get their worms! The cochin has started jumping up on the window sill staring at the boys inside and they laugh and say "Mom, Pearl wants another worm!" I also give them grapes, sprinkle some oatmeal, layer feed, bird seed, bread, etc... but nothing compares to the worms!

I'm gonna go see if I can scrounge up an old tank...

 

[WoodlandWoman]

That is so cute!